St. Louis Rams need another big game from Tavon Austin

Last Sunday, against the Arizona Cardinals, the St Louis Rams unleashed their 2015 first round draft pick Todd Gurley onto the NFL. Throughout this week, Gurley has drawn praise from all corners for his superb 146-yard rushing performance. The former Georgia man picked up a further 20 yards on two receptions, and ended the game for the Rams by showing sufficient intelligence to stay in bounds to keep the clock running on his final carry.

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As Gurleymania took hold, another crucial aspect of the victory that was slightly overlooked was the performance of third year wide receiver, Tavon Austin. Austin had six receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona, numbers surpassed only once his career so far against the Indianapolis Colts in 2013 when he picked up 138 yards. Rams fans will hope that this offensive showing is a sign of things to come.

This weekend for the second consecutive Sunday, the St Louis Rams will be underdogs as they go on the road as they head to Lambeau to face the might of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. For Jeff Fisher’s men to go into the bye at 3-2, Austin will need another big game.

Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) runs after making a catch against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Rams won 24-22. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay have given up only four touchdowns through the air this year, ranking behind only Denver, Seattle and St Louis. Similarly, opposing quarterbacks have a cumulative completion rate of just 56.5%, the third lowest in the league. As much as the Green Bay offense is to be feared, their defense should by no means be underestimated.

That said, it is arguable that the Packers schedule to date has not been the strongest. They began with a road win against the disappointing Bears who currently sit at 1-3. This was followed up by victory against a Seattle Seahawks team that may yet finish third in the NFC West behind Arizona and St Louis. The Packers’ third opponent was the uninspiring Kansas City Chiefs who also have a losing record, and last time out they trounced the San Francisco 49ers whose roster was shredded this offseason. Could it be that, like the Cardinals last week, Green Bay is to face its first real test against the Rams this weekend?

As game day approaches, the focus will likely be on Todd Gurley again. It could be a classic piece of Jeff Fisher misdirection to take away from plans to increase Austin’s role even more. It is quite possible there was element of that last week with the anticipation around Brian Quick’s return to active duty, only to see Austin getting the majority of the work.

Few people banked on Austin getting the amount of action he actually had, and it paid off. Let Green Bay prepare around the threat from Gurley, and allow Austin to quietly put in another stellar performance. It may just be the key to another famous Rams victory.